Erin Hensley Schultz is a writer, speaker, and storyteller living in the mountains of East Tennessee. She is a mother and a wife, but she loves her dog more.
Erin is available for speaking and storytelling engagements, and can be reached at booking@erinthestoryteller.com
It's Fine. 
September 19, 2016 at 11:34 am
I have read and reread your “So, Which is it” post, and with fear and trembling, have reposted it. I too am an older (almost 60) white lady in SC – though since my parents are from Missouri and we were not here before the “War of Northern Aggression”, I can’t claim to be fully southern, despite the GA on my birth certificate. So I am older than you by about 28 years I would say. I remember segregation, and desegregation. I had race riots at my middle school in Greenville SC that sent kids to the hospital. I have been afraid of being mugged during those, and had the incredible experience of a black girl I didn’t even think liked me saving me from getting jumped by other black girls.
I believe we are all, if we are honest, bigots on some level. I have my “black friends”, yes, and we socialize, but I admit, if I am honest, I look at them differently than I look at other blacks – poor blacks. And I look at poor blacks differently than I do poor whites – that makes me a bigot. I have to admit it.
Anyway, thank you for such a well thought out and thought provoking post – with humor and gravity, challenging and encouraging both. The one thing I did see, that I did not understand is why you say you are a member of the LEAST HARMLESS demographic. I would have thought you would consider yourself part of either the MOST HARMLESS or LEAST HARMFUL.
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September 19, 2016 at 11:41 am
As many times as I read and reread this before clicking “publish”, I never caught that typo. How did I not catch that? I’m going to go fix that. Thank you for catching that, and for sharing your experiences. I lived in Greenville SC for about ten years, on Grove right down the street from Greenville Memorial. It’s a beautiful city, but I understand it wasn’t always.
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September 25, 2016 at 11:56 pm
very well written i could relate to a lot of what you said. honesty from the heart.
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September 20, 2016 at 10:25 am
Erin, even if you don’t “write more soon”, even if you never write again, thank you for this one courageous, powerful, resonant and so-very-welcome piece. I cling to its rock-rooted sanity in the howling storm. How reassuring to know that at least two apple-cheeked children growing up in that storm have a mother with brain, heart and backbone like yours.
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September 20, 2016 at 11:45 am
I agree with Janet about your post. Although it sounds like Janet and I are aporoximately the same age, my experience with integration was different. I lived in a smal MS town from age 9 to 21 where my class was the first to integrate before the entire school system. There were no fights that I was aware of and no protests. It was a smooth transition. We were just kids curious about each other. My long blonde hair was a novelty to the black kids and they often asked if they could touch it. I had no problem with it. I realize this was not the norm but I’m so glad that, apparently in some magical way, the adults in my town acted like adults.
Of course , it’s possible I was just an oblivious 11 year old. But I can def say there was never any talk in my house about avoiding integration.
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September 20, 2016 at 1:22 pm
Your blog on racism is the most insightful I have read and I am 65 years old. I grew up in a small town in WV. predominantly a white community. We did not have any blatant race issues in our town. I never used the N word in my life, my parents didn’t use it. Still I know that there was bigotry. I can remember my senior year in high school. I was driving to town and some of my fellow classmates, young black men were thumbing a ride to town from football practice. I was in such a dilemma: my father would have been so upset. What would people think? Riding around with black boys? But they were classmates, boys I knew. So, I remember pulling over, picking up three friends, praying that my dad would not be driving by. That has always stuck with me. Bigotry. Thank you so much for writing your piece. It is so true. I am sharing it on my FB page. Unfortunately, most people will not take the time to read it all. But it’s made me want to speak up.
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September 20, 2016 at 2:36 pm
Your post on “So, which is it” literally includes everything I have tried or wanted to say about racism in this country and the recent backlash against protests calling attention to continuing injustice. When one so eloquently expresses that which needs to be said, I see no advantage in trying to say it another way, so I have simply shared it on Facebook, where it will be seen by “friends” who have been rather pointed in their criticism of black athletes and others not standing for the Anthem or the Pledge, which, by the way, contains the words “…and justice for all”–words that have really never been true. Thank you for putting in writing this articulate and clearly important message.
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September 20, 2016 at 4:15 pm
I am a 70 year old white female. I didn’t grow up in the south so my experience is slightly different. But it doesn’t put any distance between the bigotry that blankets this entire country. There is not corner where white people can hide and say — but this isn’t a problem I face. We are all responsible for it. Just yesterday there was another shooting — this time in Tulsa, OK. It makes me sad that I don’t know where to find the magic switch that will just turn it all off.
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September 20, 2016 at 11:02 pm
Thank you so much for your great article! I feel re-en-couraged now and will be more likely to speak up when these ugly things are said or done around me.
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September 21, 2016 at 4:00 pm
Wow, wow, wow. Thank you. Your words so eloquently focused so much of what is wrong and extremely upsetting right now in our country. Sharing far and wide.
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September 21, 2016 at 4:59 pm
Wow wow wow. Spot on. Beyond spot on.
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September 21, 2016 at 8:34 pm
So I have read and re-read and then shared and read your post again. It’s perfect. I’m a professional white woman (an attorney) in my mid-thirties. I know my privilege. I’ve unfollowed plenty of friends on Facebook because doing more would be “too aggressive”. I grew up in Ohio but moved to North Carolina a decade ago to go to law school and stayed to practice. In just the past few months, my husband relocated to Greenville, SC. Though we still maintain a home in eastern NC, one week each month my 13 month old son and I stay in Greenville so we can all be in the same city as a family. During those weeks, I commute back and forth to my firm’s Charlotte office everyday. This week was one of those weeks. This morning was one of those mornings. Except that this morning my husband woke me up at 5:15 a.m. “Baby, there was a police shooting in Charlotte. The news is saying riots.” As I tried to shake the sleep fog and process what he was saying, he followed up with “thought you should know because it looks like 85 was shut down for a while but it’ll probably be okay by the time you have to leave for work.” Traffic! That’s what he was worried about. I don’t share this to place fault on him. I share this because I realized instantly how jaded we are already. Someone was killed. We’re worried about traffic. On the commute to Charlotte I called a friend. “How will we ever talk to our sons about these issues? How will we make them understand? How will we raise them to not be as jaded as we’ve already become?” It weighed on me all day. Then I read your post. And I printed it off. I gave my husband a copy. And I put a copy with my thirteen month old son’s important documents. When he’s old enough to understand words other than “dada” and “ball” and I have to figure out how to explain these things to him, I’ll have your words. Thank you so much. You just made me a better mom. And if you are ever willing to meet for coffee when I’m in Greenville, I’d love to meet you.
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September 21, 2016 at 8:38 pm
I just cried. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your words. I am so grateful. Prayers for you, for your family, and your travels. And, yes, coffee is a darn fine thing. We live in Greeneville, TN now, but since we have family and friends in Greenville SC, we visit a lot. I really do hope I get to meet you!
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September 21, 2016 at 11:41 pm
THANK YOU!!! This is so needed right now. Hopefully it gives more people the courage to say something, to do something, to be willing to change. Loved this and look forward to reading more if you choose to do so. Sincerely!
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September 22, 2016 at 10:20 am
Erin, you are a damn good writer. As a southern woman, I feel ya. I am tired of having to educate family members and acquaintances about this subject…tired of posting statistics, tired of calling them out on the racism of their statements….I’m tired of it but I just feel I have to keep doing it. Your blog has given me a new boost of energy. Thank you!
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September 22, 2016 at 9:35 pm
Like so many, I am deeply touched by your insights, and by your bravery in sharing your own shortcomings so that others might relate, and question our own attitudes. I have shared your blog post, and friends have re-shared widely. The result is good conversation both within and outside of social media. I will be braver, and I will risk alienating friends. Thank you for the eloquent kick in the pants.
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September 23, 2016 at 7:35 pm
Erin, as a Black man who grew up in Louisiana in the seventies and eighties I know all too well the privilege and racism you speak of and the denials and excuses made today to cover up past and present injustices.
I shared your post with a lot of friends of various racial groups and have gotten lots of great feedback. You are a great writer and speak to issues which has been a challenge for our country since its inception.
It’s really speaks to your patriotism and love for our country.
Thank you and please write more.
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September 24, 2016 at 12:57 am
Please sign me uo for your blog. Although not a Southern Belle, I am white, and privileged, WITH Southern ancestors. Just having this conversation tonight with a black man who is a facebook friend. Please sign me up for your blog. Well said, and thank you for taking a stand for equality.
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September 24, 2016 at 9:36 pm
YAAAAASSSSSSS, thank you, fellow White Lady.
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September 25, 2016 at 12:55 pm
I was led to your blog by a Facebook posting by an old high school friend. You speak for so many of us privileged white persons. Racism is alive and well in the USA. It’s not only confined to blacks; but cuts across all ethnicities. In my 69 years I have met so many white people of all ages who have very negative feelings toward, Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, etc. Almost all of them are not based on fact; but what they were taught.
Keep up your good work. You can count on me to spread the word.
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September 25, 2016 at 1:45 pm
Thank you! Great writing Keep it up
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September 25, 2016 at 3:12 pm
That is one of the most powerful things I have ever read. Thank you!
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September 25, 2016 at 10:45 pm
You expressed perfectly exactly how I feel about this issue. You even ended it with my favorite MLK quote. I am also a privileged Southern white lady. I’m from Alabama and went to Clemson for undergrad. I am a physician in Birmingham. Oddly enough, all of my Facebook “struggles” are with my Northern in-laws, and not anyone I know in the South. They are lovely people, but oh so wrong on these issues. Just like you said, I don’t want to let their comment go-because that seems wrong-but I also don’t want to offend people I care about. Thank you for speaking for me; and much more eloquently as well.
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September 26, 2016 at 2:42 pm
Thank you for this. I’ve spent the last two decades trying to figure out how my SC southern heritage hobbled me. I’ve produced documentaries about historical events and participated in all kinds of reparation events. But, my Lord woman…you hit the friggin nail on the head. And so grateful to find your writing.
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September 27, 2016 at 11:40 am
This is beautiful.
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September 30, 2016 at 2:48 pm
Thank you. You somehow managed to take my feelings and put them on paper. I am sharing this with family and friends with the hope that at least one more person will get the message. Our nations youth needs to have this drip fed into their psyche everyday!.
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